Throughout the life cycle of a well there are multiple instances when components need to be conveyed in and out of the well. Electric submersible pumps (ESPs) are an example of one of these components.
Conventional ESPs are attached to the tubing string and deployed downhole. ESPs fail frequently and require replacement. To replace a traditionally deployed ESP, the entire tubing string must be retrieved from the wellbore, which is time consuming, incurs intervention costs, and carries risk. An alternatively deployed ESP, instead, hangs within the tubing string by a cable hanger in the well production system. When an alternatively deployed ESP fails, the ESP string can be replaced independently from the tubing string.
When deploying or retrieving alternatively deployed ESPs, it is important to protect the cable hanger sealing surface in the well production system; scratches to the cable hanger sealing surface could compromise the integrity of its primary production barrier. Further, a standard bore protector cannot typically be used with an alternatively deployed ESP because it would interfere with landing the cable hanger in its designated location or profile. Further, the ESP might be suspended from a flexible member and may be unpredictably in contact with any side or portion of the wellbore. In addition, the inner diameter of the bore the ESP must travel through to reach the cable hanger lock profile transitions from a larger bore to a smaller bore. The ESP must make the transition from larger to smaller diameter bore without getting hung up, damaging the ESP string, or damaging the well production system.